A Continued Dream: Quatrina's Story
by Mishee
Summary: AC 216. Fighting has once again broken between the forces of Earth and Space after years of peace. In the midst of the violence, five heroes are once again called to help, this time, in a much different way than expected, as one girl will soon find out...
1. Chapter 1: An Unlearned Lesson

**Disclaimer:** _Gundam Wing_ is © to Bandai, Sunrise, and Sotsu Agency. All original characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of Mea, Quatrina, and Kailai--belong to _them_. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

**Author's Note:** I've been lately going through my stories posted on FFnet and "cleaning" them up, so to speak. This story was written either sophomore or junior year of high school (1999-2000), at the height of the Gundam Wing fandom after its debut on Cartoon Network. Unfortunately (or fortunately, as I sometimes think), it was never finished, and I doubt it ever will be. I have now reposted the original version here, more for sentimental reasons than for show. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**Background: **This fic takes place about 21 years after the OAV Endless Waltz. Quatre has married to the young doctor, Mea Somers, and the two have children together: twins named Quatrina and Kilai. However, Quatre later dies in the battlefield about seven years after his marriage to Mea. And now, seven years after his death, war again has started _again_ between the Earth and colonies. At this point of time, Quatrina and Kilai are fourteen years old.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**A Continued Dream: Quatrina's Story  
**Written by: Mishee

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
Chapter I  
**_An Unlearned Lesson_

AC 216. It was the last day of summer, yet the heat over Earth was stifling. All day, there seemed to hang a silence, a deathly silence, over the city. People milled about the streets slowly, as if in some clouded daze that they couldn't seem to get out of. An automobile or two would linger slowly around the streets before finally driving slowly away. Even the trees, that had once laden heavy with fruit, now hung emptily, their branches bare and hung low, as if the heat burdened them more than they could carry. Their leaves had already begun to show the slightest color change of brownish-red, a color that was only seen during the autumn.

It was only yesterday that the declaration had been made; the declaration of war. The people crowded around town squares, the windows of television shops, and even their own TVs, unable to comprehend, unable to see through their shock. And in a mansion just located outside the city limits, a woman shook her head sadly, her voice and spirit silent. Her two children stared at her with their blue-green eyes.

"They'll never learn," was all she murmured in a soft voice. Then, she left, still shaking her head.

---------------

It was late evening when she slipped out, a mere shadow in the already growing darkness. She closed the front door softly behind her, then looked side to side self-consciously, clutching to her chest a single white crocus. Over the horizon, the sun was slowly setting, the last golden orange rays fading slowly against the dark void of night. Already, the light of the North Star blinked lazily at the distance.

The girl glanced briefly at the star, then quickly ran off into the distance, into the city. Her padded feet clicked noiselessly against the pavement as she quickly made her way toward a place that only she seemed to know. The street was nearly empty and the houses were quiet. No cars drove on the lonely streets. The girl then stopped running suddenly, her breath coming out in tiny gasps that she fought to control. After she had somewhat rested, she then took a much slower pace. After turning numerous corners and side streets, she finally stopped before a tall, Victorian black gate.

She hesitated, then looked up at the gate, her blue-green eyes narrowing slightly. Then, with a small grunt, she pushed the iron gate open and entered. She suddenly found herself surrounded by dozens and dozens of beautiful, marble slabs of stone. She paused again, her eyes uncertain. Taking a deep breath, she took a step forward, then another step. Soon, she found herself walking amidst the great stone slabs, immersing herself in the stories of long ago, of hidden meanings…and forgotten pasts.

She finally paused in front of one marble slab. Her eyes read over the message and, hesitatingly, she reached out to touch the stone. It felt cold. She blinked, licked her lips, then traced with her fingers the ornately carved lines and flowers that bordered the stone nicely. She smiled then, faintly to herself, and knelt in front of it.

"Father…" she half-whispered, half murmured to herself. She took the white crocus she had been grasping to her chest and looked down at it. She gently touched the white petals and stem before finally placing them in front of the stone. She smiled again, weakly this time.

"Papa…do you remember me?" She looked at the stone again, her eyes searching. "I'm your daughter, Quatrina. I…I've come to visit." She blushed then. It seemed lame, talking to a stone. But she had always enjoyed it, had always felt relaxed just talking to him. She looked down at her hands.

"It's been almost two years since I've been here last," she finally said in her soft voice. "But…I can still remember you." She paused again, searching for words that would not come to her.

"We _loved_ you, papa…_I_ loved you. We were all so proud of you, that day. That day when you…you…" She suddenly blinked, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. Surprised at her emotion, she stopped talking.

"I…" her eyes took on a distant look. "I…miss you, papa…Why did you leave us? Why did you leave so soon?" She wiped her eyes. "Mama misses you, too. We all do." She rested her hands on her knees and twirled the crocus between her fingers slowly, her eyes sad.

"So much has changed now, papa. We're at war again. Mama…Mama says that we'll never learn…" She let her voice drift and she stared at the sunset, unmoving. "She's right. Papa, sometimes I wonder why there must be wars, why wars must cause so much damage even if it is bringing some good. How can such a bad thing be good for us, papa? Why must we hurt again?" She paused for the third time. A chilling wind blew by her, making her shiver slightly. Her shoulder-length dark hair grew mussed from it, the wavy locks falling over her face and her shoulders. She pushed a strand away and tucked it behind her ear.

"We've all changed," she said again softly. "Even Kilai. He seems so…different now. He _wants_ to fight, Papa…but he wants to fight only because he's angry. He's so angry these days, Papa. I wish I knew why. I wish I could help him. I…I…" she looked up at the sky, her eyes searching.

"I wish _I_ could fight, Papa. I want to keep people from getting hurt anymore. I want to stop this war. There's no sense in it. Nobody ever wins in a war, we're all always losers." Her eyes grew bright with new tears. "I don't want anyone to hurt anymore, Papa. I don't want Mama to hurt. She's been hurt ever since you left us. She's always tried to hide it, but I can see it in her eyes. I…I just want to do something to stop it, to stop the pain and the suffering. To stop the sorrow. Oh, _Papa_…"

She buried her face in her hands and allowed the tears to fall silently in small rivers down her cheeks. She stayed in that position for what seemed like hours, just weeping beside the great cold stone. Then, suddenly, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Don't cry, little one," the voice said softly. Quatrina gasped and whirled around. She looked up and saw—

"Uncle…Trowa?" she blinked up at him and he smiled gently at her, nodding.

"Yes, it's me…Why are you here alone when it's so dark?" He looked at her closely, his dark eyes searching. She looked back at him evenly, but didn't say a word. Trowa cocked his head at her and smiled again.

"Tears don't suit you, Quatrina," he murmured as he took a handkerchief and dried her face. "There." He backed away a few centimeters, surveying her sad face. "Now…where's that beautiful smile of yours?"

His remark hit home and Quatrina gave him the smile he wanted. Trowa smiled back. "Now, let's take you home. Your mother must be worried sick. You shouldn't be wandering around here, especially at a time like this."

"Mama doesn't know I'm here," she whispered. Trowa glanced at her shortly, but didn't stop his pace.

"Well…even then, it's dangerous for you."

Quatrina turned her face up to look at her uncle. After the death of her father, he had been the closest thing to a dad that she could have ever wished to have. She loved both him and his sister, Aunt Catherine. However, Catherine's death three years ago had taken its toll on him. After her death, he seemed to live in the shadows and never seemed to spend anymore time with her or Kilai. It was as if her death had distanced them. It was for this reason that Quatrina was so surprised to see him after months of seclusion.

"But I like talking to him," she whispered more to herself than him. Trowa stared at his niece and said nothing.

By the time they reached the mansion, the moon had already risen high above the treetops. Quatrina could feel the moonlight on her face.

Everyone's sleeping," Trowa said softly. Quatrina nodded, then showed him to her window, which was about two stories high from the ground.

"How will you get up there?" Trowa asked her. Quatrina pointed to the vine ladder that led all the way up to the open windowsill. She had told Kilai to always leave it open whenever she went out, and he had abided with her promise.

Quatrina was just about to begin the climb when she paused and turned to look again at her uncle. The two stared at each other for a few minutes, then Quatrina asked in a soft voice:

"Will you tell Mama?"

Trowa's eyes rested on her blue-green ones. He saw something in her eyes that made him turn away slightly. He shook his head.

"No."

The two stared at each other again. Then, Quatrina went over to him and wrapped her arms around his thin waist.

"Uncle Trowa…Thank you for bringing me home. I missed you."

Trowa looked down at her as she embraced him and smiled sadly, his brown eyes growing distant and moist with tears.

"I missed you, too," he whispered. He pulled away gently and tipped her chin up.

"Where's that smile?"

Quatrina obliged him again. He gave an approving nod.

"Stay that way, little one. Okay? Promise me."

She nodded.

"Give your mother and Kilai my regards."

She nodded again. He smiled weakly at her.

"Goodnight. Be careful climbing up. I'll see you again."

Quatrina nodded for the third time and started climbing. She paused halfway up and looked down. She saw her uncle still looking up at her from below. He gestured for her to continue and she resumed her climbing. Finally, after she reached the window, she looked down again, searching for his familiar figure. But he had gone, lost in the dark void of the night.

* * *

**Additional Note:** More chapters will be added as soon as I finish "cleaning" them up. Thank you for reading! 


	2. Chapter 2: Thoughts

**Disclaimer:** _Gundam Wing_ is © to Bandai, Sunrise, and Sotsu Agency. All original characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of Mea, Quatrina, and Kailai--belong to _them_. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**A Continued Dream: Quatrina's Story  
**Written by: Mishee

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
Chapter II  
**_Thoughts_

"Uncle Trowa gives his regards," Quatrina announced quietly that morning. Her mother and brother looked at her in surprise and regarded her silently. She didn't meet their glances and ate another spoonful of oatmeal.

"How is he, Quatrina?" her mother asked softly. She looked radiant that morning with her brown, shoulder-length hair pulled back in a neat bun and wearing a gray silk business suit and white blouse. Her pale, violet eyes reflected from her spectacles.

"He looks fine, Mama."

Her mother looked at her again but said nothing. Then, she nodded and opened the morning newspaper. There, on the front page, the picture of two mobile suits clashing against one another in space stuck out like a sore thumb. Kilai, or Kai as most people tended to call him, stared at the picture in a mixture of both fascination and horror. Quatrina turned away and glanced at her brother curiously. Mrs. Winner put her newspaper down and looked at her watch.

"Time to go, both of you."

Quatrina stood up abruptly and ran upstairs. Her brother, however, lingered on the table and slowly sidled over to where his mother had left the newspaper. Mrs. Winner, busily arranging some papers inside her attaché case, didn't seem to notice him until she heard the rattle of the newspaper being opened. She then looked up. Kai was busily poring over the front page. She glanced at the article, then paused at the picture, somewhat surprised and horrified.

"Kai…" she began hesitatingly.

Kai looked up startled. He saw the sadness and even slight anger in his mother's eyes and didn't say anything. Mrs. Winner looked evenly at him, then took the newspaper gently away and turned it facing back.

"You'll be late for school if you keep dawdling," she admonished softly, not commenting on the newspaper. Kai looked at her, his eyes searching. Finally, he nodded and slowly turned and descended the stairs. Mrs. Winner watched as he disappeared up the staircase, then sighed and turned over the newspaper, glancing again at the picture. Her finger traced the outlines of the mobile suits and her eyes became distant.

"They'll never learn," she whispered, and put the newspaper away in her bag.

---------------

They attended the Darlian Academy, named after Relena Darlian, a student who had once attended the prestigious college and was now the famed peace ambassador for both Earth and space. She often came to visit the academy, sometimes to interact with the students and such. She rarely came, now, however. The war had grown worse in merely a few weeks.

The talk of the war had circulated among the students like a brush fire. Many of the young men attending the academy had dropped their studies to join in the fighting ranks. Even some professors had resigned. Soon, only Kai and a few others remained, but even they were getting a bit uncomfortable by that fact.

'But…why?' wondered Quatrina as she sat alone in a bench that adorned many of the exquisite gardens surrounding the academy. On her hand, she held one of the classics, _A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man_, that she had been assigned to read that week by author James Joyce. She wasn't reading, however. Instead, she let her eyes drift over to the many array of flowers and trees surrounding her. She tended to ask the same question over and over these days. 'Why, why, why?'

"Quatrina?"

'Why must there be war? Why was Papa taken away from us?'

Quatrina?"

'Didn't Papa die for peace? Where's that peace? Why must all hurt again?'

"Earth to Quatrina…Hello?"

'Did he die in vain?'

"Quatrina!"

Quatrina looked up and saw the pixie-like face of her best friend, Sadami, looking at her with obvious concern. Quatrina smiled weakly at her, trying to hide her surprise.

"H-hey Sadi. I didn't know you were calling to me."

Sadami frowned in worry.

"Are you okay, Kat?" she asked, calling her by her nickname. "Maybe the heat's bothering you. It's awfully hot today, you know. Why, just a few hours ago, Kyoko fainted from the heat and—"

"No, really, I'm fine, Sadi. I just kind of…zoned out for a minute. People do it all the time." She forced a smile out to prove it. "But I'm fine now, really."

Sadami broke into a relieved grin.

"Great…for a while there, I thought I lost you." She peered at the book. "What's that you're reading?"

"Another of Joyce's works. We're supposed to read it for Monday for Professor Bates' class."

"Professor Bates?" Sadami raised an eyebrow. "She barely has enough to students to _have_ a class."

Quatrina didn't say anything. It was true. The once male-dominated class had declined in number so drastically that Mrs. Bates literally _had_ no class. In fact, it seemed more like a tutoring section more than a regular school course.

"Almost all the guys have gone," Sadami continued.

"And about half of them have died just being a part of this…this _senseless_ war."

Sadami stopped and surveyed Quatrina's usual calm face.

"It's not senseless, Kat. This war is being fought to bring peace!"

"Wars _cannot_ bring peace," Quatrina stated firmly in a soft voice. "When can we ever learn that? Our ancestors have warred with each other countless times, declaring that they were fighting to achieve peace. Well, where's the peace? How many more times must we fight to achieve this 'peace' we so want to have?"

Sadami stared at her and said nothing. Quatrina looked down at her hands, suddenly noticing their paleness in them as they clutched the book tightly. She relaxed them. Sadami put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I won't argue with you," she whispered. "Because I respect your opinions. But…I'm sorry I made you so upset."

Quatrina looked up at Sadami and smiled. She was so understanding! It was for that reason that the two were the best of friends.

"I didn't mean…I'm the one who should be sorry, Sadami." And she _was_ sorry. She hadn't meant to preach to her best friend. Once again, she had let her emotions run away with her. Sadami squeezed her shoulder comfortingly and gave her a knowing smile.

"You look so…so _sorry_ whenever you apologize," she said, her eyes glinting in amusement. "It can bring anyone to tears."

Quatrina laughed. Everyone said that to her. It was always the same remark.

"Come on." Sadami pulled her friend up. "We'll be late for fencing class if we don't hurry."

The two ran off into the distance.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I wanted to use the space here to give a proper tutorial on how to pronounce the names in this story. Kailai, albeit the funny spelling, is pronounced "Kye-lay." Quatrina would be pronounced the same way you would pronounce "Katrina." As you can see, the similarities between her name and her father's are pretty obvious, right down to how they are both pronounced. 


	3. Chapter 3: Another Goodbye

**Disclaimer:** _Gundam Wing_ is © to Bandai, Sunrise, and Sotsu Agency. All original characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of Mea, Quatrina, and Kailai--belong to _them_. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**A Continued Dream: Quatrina's Story  
**Written by: Mishee

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
Chapter III  
**_Another Goodbye_

"Why are you staring at me?"

Kilai Winner gave a start. He had quietly been watching his sister for some time now. She had been studying silently on her desk, her back facing him. How could she have known he was watching her?

"I _know_ how it feels to be watched by someone, especially _you_, Kai. You're my twin, remember?" There, she had done it again. She had read his mind. He grinned nonchalantly and said, "You know me too much."

"I do." Quatrina turned around to face him. Her blue-green eyes bore into his own. "What's up? You do this only whenever you want to talk."

"Like I said, you know me too much." He sidled over to her bed and sat. She regarded him in silence, crossing her legs in a sitting position.

"Kai…get to the point, please? I have this major physics test tomorrow, and it's not easy."

Kai's eyes traveled up to her wall.

"I never noticed those pictures up on your wall," he remarked.

She blinked, then her eyes narrowed. "What are you—"

"They're pretty. Where did you get them?"

"Kai—"

"Did you draw them?"

Quatrina sighed impatiently. "Kilai Winner, if you have nothing to say, then just—"

"I'm going to join."

Quatrina stared at him. He didn't look back at her and kept his eyes up on the wall. Finally, she took a deep breath and cleared her throat.

"I…beg your pardon?"

"I will. I'm going to do it."

"Kai…this is _not_a good time to be joking with me. I really do have a test and—,"

"I'm not joking, Kat." This time, Kai turned to look at her, his eyes determined and face a mask of seriousness. Quatrina looked at him. She rarely saw him this way and knew that he was serious. Her face fell. She wouldn't look at him.

"Why?"

"That's the same thing I've been asking myself these past few weeks." He sighed and collapsed into her bed. He fingered the ring--their father's ring--which had been given to him from his mother as a remembrance present. "I'm angry, Kat. Maybe you've noticed it. I'm…I'm _furious_. I mean, how can they just start another war in the middle of our peace settlement? Didn't we fight in a similar war seven or eight years ago so that we can get _rid_ of wars? Didn't father die doing that?"

Quatrina didn't say anything.

"Tell me, Kat. Did he die in vain? Did he give his life up fighting for a dream that would never come true?"

She was still silent. He sighed and turned to look at her. "Don't you have _anything_ to say?"

"That doesn't mean you have to risk your life doing the same thing," she said, not looking at him.

Kai stared at her and said nothing.

"Father died trying to achieve a dream that he hoped would come true," she continued, her face amazingly expressionless. "And now you're going to risk _your_ life fighting for a dream you _know_ won't come true. Kai…what's wrong with you? There's no sense in that."

"I didn't say I'd die doing it," Kai said quietly.

"Then, tell me, Kai. Why are you doing it? Why do you want to fight?"

"I already told you, Kat. I want to show them how stupid this war is; how wars can only cause hurt and pain. I want to bring peace into this world, Kat."

"How can you achieve peace while fighting, Kai?"

"How can you achieve peace by just sitting here, Kat?"

The two stared at each other in silence; both were angry.

"I just want to do _something_, Kat. _Something_. I just can't sit here hoping for peace to come."

"Oh, Kai…" she murmured, tired of arguing with him. As twins, both knew more about each other than even their own mother. The two had grown up together and lost the same father. They had both shared in the same sorrow and pain in losing him, and both had found the strength to live, despite the loss. Their rarely had their differences. The two had always been close. But now, a wall seemed to separate them, and Quatrina felt more distanced from Kai than she had ever felt before. She looked down at the soft carpeting, her eyes filling with tears.

"Now even the war is separating us."

Kai looked up, startled. He saw her sad face, her drooping shoulders, and his face softened. He slowly made his way toward her and put an arm around her shoulder.

"That's why I'm fighting this war, too. I'm fighting to keep us from falling apart. Do you understand? Kat, please say you will."

Quatrina looked up at him and saw that his own eyes were filled with regret for hurting her. She surrendered to a trembling smile.

"I think I do now, Kai."

"You sure?" Kai's eyes were searching her face for some proof. She widened her smile, but inside she felt sick to the stomach.

"Yes. I…I'm sorry for arguing with you like this. It's your decision, your life," she said simply, "and I really shouldn't be interfering."

"Kat, I'd never make such a decision if I knew it'd hurt you or mom." He stared at her again, searching for some sort of reaction—or answer—from her. He found none. He sighed, then stood up. "Well, I'd better leave you to study for that physics test for yours. Call me if you need any help; I'm a whiz at physics."

With that, he exited the room and closed the door gently behind him. Quatrina stared at the door for a long time, then whispered, "You already _are_ hurting me, Kai. You already _are_…"

**---------------**

Angry words were exchanged the next evening. Mrs. Winner could not convince her son otherwise from his decision and Quatrina simply did not say anything.

"Kilai…son, how could you? This war is not a game! Real combats are taking place each day with real people getting killed. What can you hope to accomplish by joining this mess?"

"Mom, I'm fighting to keep you safe; both you and Quatrina. I can't just sit and watch for peace to come. Peace is not something that can be served to you on a silver platter. One must have to fight for it!"

"Fighting is not always the answer, Kai!" Mrs. Winner trembled in frustration, but there was fear in her eyes.

"Then _what_ is?" Kai shot back. Mrs. Winner didn't say anything, but her eyes brimmed with tears.

"I…I just don't want to lose you the same way I lost your father," she whispered in such a soft voice that Kilai barely heard her. He turned away, somewhat ashamed and angry at the same time. Silence dominated the air for a few minutes. Then, Rashid, still strong in his old years, stood up from the armchair from which he was observing the two of them silently.

"Kilai," he began, his voice low. "I know I cannot convince you otherwise from your decision…but I do believe it would be wise if you would spare your mother and sister the anxiety of your leaving by choosing to stay here."

Kai just shook his head.

"I won't. I can't, anyway. I've already signed up. My orders are to report to the nearest spaceport tomorrow." He turned and was about to ascend the staircase when he paused. He turned around, his eyes filled with regret.

"Mama, Quatrina…" He paused. "Rashid. I'm sorry to cause you such anxiety. I really am. But I do believe that I'm doing the right thing. Please don't take this away from me."

Mrs. Winner didn't say anything. Quatrina looked down at her feet. Rashid merely nodded, and murmured, "Yes, Master Kilai."

Kai stared at all of them for a few more moments, then turned and disappeared up the staircase and into his room. After his door shut close, Mrs. Winner collapsed into the sofa, her face in her hands. Rashid went over to comfort her. Quatrina stood and went outside.

The day had turned hot again, but now that it was dark, the temperature had dropped mildly. The sky was clear and a full moon shone bright in the blue void. Quatrina looked up to the North Star, her eyes searching for an answer she would not get. She had no control over anything anymore. Everything was going past her too fast, and she didn't know what to do about it. Secretly, she wished she could do something, as well, like her brother was doing. But she knew that she had a duty at home, a duty to protect her mother. But…was that really what she wanted? To spend her life just waiting for a dream that had been the cause of so many lost souls, both past and future? She didn't know. Sighing, she turned her eyes once again to the stars, wondering if they may hold the answers. Nothing seemed to hold any answers for her these days, anyway…


	4. Chapter 4: A Special Key

**Disclaimer:** _Gundam Wing_ is © to Bandai, Sunrise, and Sotsu Agency. All original characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of Mea, Quatrina, and Kailai--belong to _them_. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**A Continued Dream: Quatrina's Story  
**Written by: Mishee

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
Chapter IV  
**_A Special Key_

Quatrina sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly, impatiently tapping her pencil on the textbook labeled "Further study of the Renaissance and European history". She just couldn't concentrate anymore these days.

"Why must I be forced to do this, anyway?" she asked herself out loud, exasperated. Darlian Academy had closed down due to the shortage of money, staff, and students shortly after the winter recess. Their teachers had provided the students with a series of reports and homework just to keep them busy in case the war ended early. But the war had not ended and didn't look like it would anytime soon. Quatrina herself hadn't planned on doing the work, but being that there was basically nothing to do around the house, she forced herself to read the books given to her by the professors. At least it was _something_ to pass the time with.

But she needed a break. Smoothing her skirt, she stood and went over to her dresser mirror. Opening a drawer, she searched a bit before retrieving a small, round ebony diskette. Her brother had sent it to her last month before his next assignment. Gifted with electronics, he developed for her a holographic message so that he could talk to the family through his recorded, holographic form rather than through just a simple letter.

She pressed a button. Her brother's standing form greeted her.

"Mom, Kat. I hope you get this hologram. Right now, I'm staying here at colony 04- sector C. I'm actually between assignments right now, which is why I've found the time to actually be able to talk to you in person. The colonials here seem to be very hospitable and pleasant. It's difficult to perceive how these are the same colonials who are giving us so much trouble. They seem to want peace as much as we do on Earth, yet they—_we_—still fight. It's all a puzzle. Speaking of fights, things keep getting uglier and uglier up here in space. I'm grateful that hardly any battles take place on Earth. I wouldn't stand it if anything were to happen to you."

"Ambassador Darlian and Yuren met about a week ago in a peace conference. You may have heard of it. The talk itself, however, was a failure. It seems that Ambassador Yuren doesn't wish to cooperate with Ms. Darlian and her ideas of pacifism. Our options have now run out at this point. Battles seem to be the only way to bring back the peace we lost. I only pray that, after all this destruction and death, something good may come out of it."

"Anyway, my time here grows short. I'm supposed to report for another mission in about an hour. Mom, Kat, I love both of you. I pray everyday that this war would soon end and I may be able to see your loving faces again. It would be a change after seeing all this destruction everyday. Till I write again, my family. Your loving son, Kilai."

The hologram went black. Quatrina silently placed the hologram back into the drawer and closed it. Kai had spoken of hope for peace, yet his voice echoed the sadness and destruction of the war he had seen. Quatrina missed him. She missed him more than anything. His absence also had an affect in her mother. Mrs. Winner resumed her work as if nothing had happened, but Quatrina could see the sadness in her eyes every time they ate dinner together. Where there had been previously four places in the table, there were now only two present. Half of them were gone. _Half_.

Quatrina closed her eyes tightly and pushed the thoughts away. Thinking of such things at such a time never made her feel better. In fact, it only made her feel worse. Opening her eyes, she glanced at the clock on her bedroom wall. Almost three in the afternoon; tea time. She made her way to the bookshelf and retrieved her Physics book. She may as well read a chapter on the laws of physics before Rashid came.

Just as she was frustrating herself with another problem, she heard the door open softly behind her.

"You can set the tray on the bed, today, Rashid," she said without looking up from her book. "I'm not very hungry, anyway."

"You look like you're studying hard," a familiar voice, other than Rashid's, remarked softly. She sucked her breath in sharply, knowing very well who it was.

"Not really," she said admitted, closing the book. She turned around in her chair to face her uncle. "Physics always confused me. Kai used to help me with the problems when he was around."

Trowa nodded, leaning on the doorframe. He looked to her. "You miss him?"

"I do." She turned away, staring at the carpet. "Sometimes more than anything." She suddenly turned back at him and smiled. "You came back, Uncle. I'm glad."

"Yes, I did. Your mother's downstairs. I met her and we talked for a bit."

"What did you talk about?"

"Just general things. Mostly, we talked about the war. Did you know your mother is working with both space and Earth officials to establish some sort of peace organization? Once the organization grows, perhaps this war may finally stop. She's hoping to maybe get the attention of Ms. Darlian."

"I'm glad." Quatrina smiled, but inside she felt hollow and sick. Trowa noticed this and stared at her in silence. Nobody said anything to neither for a few moments. Then, Trowa asked softly, "Do you approve of your brother's fighting?"

"What?" Quatrina looked up at him, surprised by the question. Trowa didn't repeat it for her, knowing full well that she heard the question and understood it.

"I…Yes…No…oh, I'm not sure." She sighed. "I don't like fighting. I never did. But…these days, it seems that fighting seems to be the only answer to achieving peace."

Now Trowa was surprised. He waited in silence, waiting for an explanation that he knew would come.

"Kai once said, before he left, that peace couldn't be served to us in a silver platter. We had to work to attain it, somehow. We used to have so many options before. But now, all these options have gone. The peace talks have failed. So, what other option do we have except to fight? I hate fighting. It causes only sorrow and hurt. But if fighting is the only way that peace can be attained, if it's the only way to prevent any more suffering in this world, then…then I don't mind so much doing it. It's for a good cause. I hate fighting, but there doesn't seem to be any more options. What else can we do?"

She looked suddenly helpless and frail then. Her tiny figure trembled with emotion.

"What else can we do? Uncle Trowa? What else can we do?" She closed her eyes to keep her tears from falling. "I feel so helpless. I've never felt this way before. Maybe this was what Kai saw when he went to fight. But he told me he was angry. Angry because he thought father had died in vain; that he died fighting for a dream he hoped would come true, but didn't. He's so angry, Uncle Trowa. You should have seen him."

She was blabbing now, her emotions fueling her need to talk. Trowa put a hand on her shoulder, which seemed to calm her. She looked up at him.

"Uncle Trowa…do you understand me? I don't even understand myself…But do you understand how such destruction can cause peace? How we must sometimes do bad to create good? Uncle Trowa, do I make sense, or am I just crazy? The whole universe's gone crazy, Uncle Trowa."

"I know, Quatrina."

"It's not a pretty world."

"I know." Trowa's serious brown eyes met hers. He knelt by her chair, then gently touched her cheek with his palm.

"And…I understand."

"You…you do?" Quatrina blinked and looked at her uncle. He nodded.

"I do. I know that many, including your mother, have told you otherwise. But I understand what you're saying, Kat. I really do. It's the same thing your father told me once, long ago." He suddenly smiled then. Her blue-green eyes, her ideas of achieving peace…it was as if he was talking to him again, as if he was there, right now, in the room. "God, Quatrina," he whispered. "You're so much like your father."

Quatrina blushed and glanced down. Yes, she was so much like her father, right down to the trademark blush. He smiled and stood.

"When you write to your brother, tell him I send my regards," he said, moving toward the door.

"I will, Uncle. Thank you for coming. I'm glad to see you're well."

"I am, too." He nodded at her. "Goodbye, Quatrina."

"Goodbye, Uncle Trowa."

He gave her a last smile before disappearing behind the door. Quatrina could hear her mother talking softly with him downstairs. Then, the front door closed and she knew that Trowa had left. She sighed. He _understood_. He actually _understood_ her. Even her mother couldn't do that. Maybe he held the answers she wanted.

She sighed again. Well, back to her studies. She turned back to her desk and opened a book. A glimmer suddenly caught her eye. She blinked in surprise and caught sight of a small, sphere-like battery. Its shiny silver color had reflected from her reading lamp and now beckoned to her. She touched it. The battery-like object was cold to the touch. She picked it up and looked closely at it. She narrowed her eyes. She _knew_ what it was…she just couldn't remember. Where was it that she had seen something like this before? Why did it seem so familiar..? And suddenly, she remembered…

_It was nine or ten years ago. The family, that summer, had decided to take a trip to the nearby beach. It was a prefect day; sunny and blue with not a rain cloud in sight. Both she and Kai had fun that day wading in the ocean under the constant guidance of their mother, and discovering hidden objects in the sand. It was a day of laughter and happiness. Her father was still alive, then. Soon after noon, Kai fell asleep, exhausted, in his mother's arms. Quatrina, however, was still filled with energy and kept tugging on her twin's foot to hurry up and wake and play. Mrs. Winner smiled at her tiredly and said a few words to her husband. Soon, Quatrina found herself being lifted by strong arms. She looked down and saw her father smiling at her, his platinum blonde hair shining in the sun._

"_Let's leave your mother and brother alone to rest for awhile," he whispered to her. She nodded and the two walked over to the nearby park, where the playground was located. For hours, the two were on their own, playing ball, climbing monkey bars, hiding under sand caves, and building sand castles. Finally, he picked her up again and told her that it was time to go. As she clung to his neck, she noticed the thin chain. She pulled it._

"_Papa, what's this?"_

_Her father stopped, saw what she was tugging, then pulled the chain over his neck and allowed her to hold it. She traced the chain around and around until she found the silver disk that hung from it. She showed it to him._

"_What's this?"_

"_It's a key, Quatrina. A special key." _

"_Why is it special, Papa?"_

"_Because it is a key to open the most precious and valuable treasure of all." Her father's eyes had grown distant and he smiled as if recalling a memory._

"_What treasure?" Quatrina's eyes shone brightly in anticipation._

"_The treasure of peace, my little one. Peace…and your future."_

_Quatrina wrinkled her face. "Aww, that's not such a great treasure. I thought it was gold coins or jewels."_

_Her father laughed and tweaked her nose gently. "This treasure is greater than gold coins or jewels, Quatrina. Perhaps, when you're older, you'll understand it." He took the chain from her and wrapped it around his neck again. "Now, let's go find your mother and Kai, shall we?"_

_Quatrina nodded and embraced her father. He kissed her gently in the forehead._

"_Love you, Papa," she murmured sleepily from his shoulder. He smiled at her gently, his eyes soft with emotion._

"_I love you, too, my Quatrina."_

She could still feel his kiss on her forehead that day. She really did miss him. She looked down again at the small disk she was holding. Was it the same key that her father had worn? How did it get on her desk in the first place..?

She ran downstairs.

"Mom? Mom!"

"Goodness, Quatrina, where's the fire?" Her mother's head popped out from the kitchen hallway.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to shout. Did you know where Uncle Trowa went?"

Mrs. Winner glanced at her, her eyes puzzled. "Why…yes. He mentioned going on a long trip. He said he wouldn't be back for at least a week."

"Did he say where?"

"No, he didn't. Why do you want to know?"

Quatrina felt the disk in her fist and shook her head.

"Never mind, Mom. Thank you, anyway."

Mrs. Winner's stare lingered on her daughter for a moment. Then, she slowly nodded.

"All right, Quatrina. By the way, dinner will be ready in an hour. Make sure you wash up."

"I will." Quatrina ascended back up to her room, closing the door gently behind her. She opened her palm and stared at the key. Was it really a key? A key to peace? If so, then where was the lock? She knew somehow that Trowa had left it for her on purpose. But, why?

She shook her head in frustration. So many questions, yet no answers. She sighed. Tucking the "key" in her safe box, she headed for the bathroom to wash up.


	5. Chapter 5: The Gundam

**Disclaimer:** _Gundam Wing_ is © to Bandai, Sunrise, and Sotsu Agency. All original characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of Mea, Quatrina, and Kailai--belong to _them_. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thisfiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**A Continued Dream: Quatrina's Story  
**Written by: Mishee

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
Chapter V  
**_The Gundam_

"Quatrina, hon, I was wondering if you can do me a favor." Mrs. Winner stood at the front door, her hair pulled neatly back in a complicated Chinese bun and wearing a smooth, navy blue business suit. In her hands, she held a sheaf of papers. Quatrina looked up from her breakfast.

"Sure, Mom. What do you want me to do?"

"I was wondering if you could go into town and drop off these papers to a friend. Her name is Ms. Hilde Schbeiker. The address is right here." She handed the papers to her daughter. "I would go myself, but I'm tied up today at the office."

"No problem. I'll drop by this afternoon, is that okay?"

"I know you're eager to get out of here, Kat, you can't fool me. I can't blame you, though. You've been cooped up in this old mansion for weeks." She smiled knowingly at her daughter. "Feel free to go anytime. She'll be there all day."

Quatrina grinned. Her mom could read anyone's mind.

"Be careful, Quatrina. And don't dawdle on your way. It's a dangerous time, these days, and I don't want you getting hurt."

"I won't."

"Good." Mrs. Winner leaned over to kiss her daughter on the cheek. "Now, I'll see you tonight. Tell Rashid for me that I may be a bit late for dinner and not to worry. And be careful, okay?"

"Okay."

"All right, then." She glanced skeptically at Quatrina then disappeared out the front door. "Goodbye, Quatrina!"

"Bye, mom." Quatrina waved, then closed the door. She looked down at the sheaf of papers and glanced at the address. Then, she looked at her watch.

'After lunch,' she decided.

**---------------**

"125 Sunset Drive, hm?" Quatrina looked up from the piece of paper and saw the tall, white colonial mansion. "I…guess this is it." She stared at the mansion again. Everything seemed so quiet. Not even the sound of a bird chirping could be heard.

'Strange,' she muttered. 'But mom said that this is the right address.' Shrugging off her feeling of uneasiness, she started for the front door and knocked softly. A few minutes passed. Quatrina stared at the windows above her but saw no movement within. Again, she noticed the absolute silence and shivered a little. She knocked again. No response.

"Maybe she's not home," she said out loud. She looked down at the heavy manila envelope she held. 'But, mom said these papers were important and that Ms. Hilde, whoever she was, would be home all day. I wonder what's so important about these papers, anyway…" Quatrina turned and was just about to leave when the door suddenly burst open.

"Oh, no, please wait!" a voice called out anxiously. Quatrina turned around in surprise. Before stood a pale young woman looking to be about her mid-thirties with cropped dark-blue hair and navy blue eyes.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner," the woman apologized. "I was downstairs and didn't hear you until I saw you out the window." The woman smiled at her. She had a cheerful face. "By the way, my name is Hilde. Hilde Schbeiker.

"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Schbeiker." Quatrina offered a hand. "I'm Quatrina Winner. My mother sent me here to bring you some papers." She handed the envelope to her and Hilde took it, scanning the writing in front. "Mother says that she's sorry she couldn't bring them herself, but she was tied up in the office today."

Hilde smiled at her. "Tell your mother that it was no problem at all. Why don't you come in, Quatrina? Here, let me take your coat for you."

"Oh, thank you." Quatrina handed over her coat and stepped inside. She gaped at what she saw. Inside seemed to be even bigger than how it looked outside. Two giant staircases opening from opposite directions met at the center, then separated again. A shiny banister and royal red carpeting richly adorned the staircase. To both her left and right were rooms, richly decorated in Persian rugs and book-filled shelves. Chandeliers hung from at least every room.

"You…you have a beautiful home, Ms. Schbeiker," Quatrina complimented as she was led to the room to her left. Hilde beamed at her.

"Why, thank you, Ms. Winner." She then gestured for Quatrina to sit down and offered her a tray of cookies and tea that had been conveniently left for them on the table.

"Eat, you're awfully skinny. My, though, but you've grown. You look very much like your father." Hilde smiled as if recalling a memory. Quatrina paused midway while eating a cookie.

"I…beg your pardon? You know me?"

"Of course I know you. Didn't your mother ever tell you…" She trailed off as Quatrina shook her head. "Oh. Well, I suppose you don't remember me. Last time I saw you, you and your brother were barely able to walk in two feet. By the way, how is your brother? What was his name again…"

"Oh, you mean Kilai." Quatrina forced out a weak smile. "He joined to fight a few months ago."

"He joined?" Hilde's eyes grew wide in surprise. "How is he?"

"He's alright, at least that's what we heard from his last letter to us." Quatrina sipped her tea and glanced down at the carpeting, not hoping to further the conversation topic. Hilde noticed this and cheerfully changed the subject.

"Well, let's see what your mother brought for me to read," she said a little bit too loudly as she opened the envelope. She took out a sheaf of papers from the envelope and began to read, her eyes scanning every word. Quatrina watched her with mixed interest.

"Hmm…" Hilde murmured, her brow furrowing in thought. "This is interesting—"

"Hilde!" A voice suddenly shouted out from upstairs. "You'd better get in here!"

Hilde sighed. "I'm coming," she called out. She turned to look at Quatrina and smiled. "I'm sorry, Quatrina. If you'll excuse me…"

"Of course." Quatrina nodded, returning the smile.

"Feel free to leave if I take too long," she called out from behind her shoulder as she exited the room.

"Alright."

Hilde left. Quatrina finished her tea and looked around, glancing idly at the books on the shelves. " 'Military Blunders in History'," she murmured, " 'A further study of the victories of Napoleon and other great generals', 'Strategies and Victories'…wow, she sure likes to read about military."

Quatrina stood. Hilde still hadn't come back. Silence once again dominated the household. Feeling uncomfortable, Quatrina started to wander around. She surveyed the room, running her hand gently along the walls and shelves. Curiosity soon led her wandering outside the room and around the house. It wasn't until she reached a darkened hallway downstairs that she realized that she had gone too far. However, her curiosity soon got the best of her and she continued on the dark hallway.

She had no sooner reached the end of the hall when before her stood an unlocked door. The door seemed withered with age, however, which gave her the impression that nobody had opened it for many weeks, maybe even months.

Quatrina gently opened the door, wincing when it emanated loud creaking noises. She found herself facing yet another hallway. This hallway seemed even darker than the other, and even a few cobwebs hung from the ceilings. Faded paintings, torn and dusty from neglect, hung droopingly from the walls.

"Nice place," she muttered dryly, but continued on with her adventure. Making her way slowly and carefully, she finally found herself facing another unlocked door. She opened this door with ease and found with relief that, instead of yet another hallway, there lay in front of her a staircase leading down to a black abyss.

Swallowing her fear, she continued down the stairs slowly, methodically. She herself wasn't sure why she was snooping around a stranger's house, but somehow, something down these steps seemed to draw or beckon to her, and she couldn't help feeling that somehow, it was right for her to go down these steps and sneak around.

After a few minutes of descending down the stairs, she felt ready to give up when, ahead of her, she caught sight of a single ray of light piercing through the darkness at a distance. Feeling hopeful, she continued her descent and soon found out what had been causing the light. At the foot of the long stairway, a single light bulb hung from the ceiling a few meters down, and a strong, metal door stood heavily bolted and secured in the rear. Quatrina blinked in surprise and gently ran her fingers on the cool steel, feeling somewhat disappointed.

"All the way down here just to be locked out," she murmured sadly. She started to press on the door with her palms. She wanted to get in. Somehow, there just had to be a way through the door. It was uncommon for a single metal and heavily bolted door to stand on the foot of a hundred or more steps without any sight of entrance.

'There must be some lock or number code pad or something,' she thought, glancing toward the side of the door. She then smiled. There, on the right side of the door connected to the wall, was an electronic security keypad. She surveyed the blinking keypad for a moment, wondering how to trigger it. She suddenly wished, then, that her brother was there beside her. He knew how to deal with electronic security systems such as these.

As she traced with her fingers the outline of the missing key, she suddenly realized the disc shaped hole. Her eyes widened. Could the key be..?

She quickly reached for her neck and undid the hook of her gold chain necklace. After finding her father's key, she had connected it to her very own chain, and wore it as a remembrance of her father. With nimble fingers, she undid the diskette key from the chain and held it against the keypad. The disc looked to be exactly the same shape as the lock!

Her heart beating wildly, she slowly, painfully, maneuvered the diskette key inside the lock and pressed it against the hole. The hole swallowed up the key and the blinking red light suddenly switched green. To Quatrina's delight, the metal door unbolted its many locks and swished open, revealing a pitch-black room.

After a brief hesitation, Quatrina nervously stepped into the dark void. 'There had to be a light in here somewhere,' she thought. Groping the wall to the right, she struggled to feel for a switch. Her hand bumping into what felt like a switch, she pressed it, and was immediately blinded by several intense fluorescent lights.

"What the…" she muttered, her voice fading as she shielded her eyes. Click! Click! Click! More sounds of lights opening reached her ears. When the clicking finally stopped, she slowly uncovered her eyes…and gasped. Standing before her stood a vision in white, a tall figure at what seemed to her to be at least a thousand feet high.

"It's… It's…My God, it's a Gundam," she breathed in awe at the magnificent sight before her. "A Gundam. A _real_Gundam!"

"To be more specific," a deep voice said behind her, "Your father's Gundam." Quatrina gasped and turned around sharply. A figure in black with long braided brown hair stood before her.

"Who…who are you?" she asked nervously, guiltily. The figure—a man looking to be about the same age as Hilde—turned his surprised cobalt blue eyes to her.

"What! You mean…you don't know who I am?"

Quatrina looked to him, confused. "Should I know who you are?"

"Of course!" the man looked at her in mock insult. "Your father never told you who I was?"

"N-no…"

"Jesus…" the man turned away. "And I was one of his best friends, too…"

"Oh, shut it, Maxwell," a voice cut through. "Quatre's not the type of person to talk about us to his children."

A figure in a green, sleeveless tank top and spandex shorts came from the shadows. His moss-green hair hung messily over his glaring eyes, and his expressionless face seemed to ring a bell in Quatrina's mind.

"If she didn't know us, how was she able to find her way all the way here?" the person, Maxwell, retorted back. He tossed his head and glanced at Quatrina.

"I bet you don't know who he is, either," he said, shaking his head toward the other figure.

"You…You're Heero Yuy," Quatrina confirmed. Maxwell's mouth dropped open. Heero raised his eyebrows at her.

"W-wait!" Maxwell stuttered in shock. "You know his name, but not mine! How could Quatre forget me like that!"

"Oh, no. My father never mentioned Heero Yuy," she admitted. "I just saw him in one of our photo albums." She smiled at Heero. "You walked Mother down the aisle on her wedding day."

The faintest hint of a smile crept up his mouth, but disappeared so fast that Quatrina wasn't sure if she saw it at all.

"Smart kid," Heero muttered, then disappeared behind the Gundam. Maxwell stared as his companion disappeared, still in shock. Quatrina hung her head, her eyes apologetic.

"I'm sorry my father never mentioned you to me," she said softly. "I don't even recall ever seeing you in the album. Were you there at the wedding?"

Maxwell blinked at her, and nodded rather sadly, she noted. "Yeah…"

"Please…what's your name?"

"Maxwell. Duo Maxwell."

"A pleasure, Mr. Duo Maxwell." She took his hand and shook it, smiling. Duo glanced at her and his eyes widened upon seeing her happy face.

"Man…" he remarked, scratching his head and still staring at her. "You look so much like Quatre! Down to your bangs and everything…Now, if only you were a guy…"

"Duo…" warned Heero from somewhere above. Quatrina couldn't even trace his voice. Duo turned sheepish.

"Hey, I was just observing." He gave her a goofy smile that made her giggle. "Hey, it's real nice to finally see you. Damn, you've grown. Last time I saw you—ten or more years ago, was it?—you were this annoying little thing with pigtails and a really weird—,"

"Duo!" Hilde suddenly came up from behind and smacked him upside the head. Duo yelped in pain and rubbed his head.

"Oww…Hilde, what'd you have to do that for?"

Hilde rolled her eyes at him, then smiled at Quatrina. "I knew one day you'd end up finding this place," she admitted. She followed Quatrina's gaze to the Gundam. "Your father's Gundam must have called to you, just as it did to him a long time ago."

Quatrina tore her gaze from the Gundam and tossed Hilde a bewildered look. "What do you mean?"

"This is your father's Gundam," explained Heero, suddenly beside her. "In battle, he shared a close bond with it. If you're here, then that must mean that you must share the same kind of bond."

Quatrina stared at Heero. In a way, he was right. She had felt something during the search. But, then again, surely she did not have a bond with the Gundam. She hated fighting.

"No, that can't be true," she objected, shaking her head. "Fighting's not exactly my area of expertise. If there's anyone on Earth who could possibly share a bond with this Gundam, it would be my brother."

"Your brother?" Duo asked, his eyes showing some surprise.

"She has a twin brother," Hilde explained. "Kilai's his name."

"He's joined to fight," Quatrina added. She went closer and touched the huge metal armor of the foot of the Gundam. "The Gundam should be his. It's…it's rightfully his."

The three exchanged looks but didn't say anything. Duo was the first to speak after an uncomfortable silence.

"How were you able to get here?"

"My dad's key," she admitted as she unhooked the chain from her neck and showed the diskette around. "I think my uncle must have left it for me before he left."

"How would your uncle come to possess your dad's key?" Hilde questioned. Quatrina shrugged.

"I'm not exactly sure, either."

"Who is your uncle, anyway?"

"Well, his name's Trowa. Trowa Barton, I think it was."

Hilde gasped in surprise. Duo's eyes widened. Heero grunted again.

"Trowa's your uncle?" Duo finally gasped out. "Man…how long again was it since I saw you last? Why doesn't anyone ever tell me these things anymore?"

"No, no," Quatrina explained, giggling at Duo's reaction. "Uncle Trowa was my dad's best friend. They were so close, it was as if they were brothers. So really, he's just a distant uncle, not my real one." She raised her eyebrows at Duo. "Besides, if what you say about being another one of my dad's best friends is true, then I should be calling you 'uncle', too."

"Okay," agreed Duo, putting his arms over his head in his usual 'Duo' position. "That sounds good to me." He turned to Hilde. " 'Uncle Duo' has a nice ring to it, doesn't it, Hilde? Or how about 'Uncle Maxwell'?"

Hilde glared at Duo. Duo tossed her an innocent look.

"What?" he asked. "What did I do?" He winked at Quatrina.

"Don't give me that innocent look of yours, Duo. You know very well that you're not an uncle!"

"Well, if Trowa can, why can't I?"

"For one thing, Trowa's so much more mature and responsible than you will ever be, Mr. Maxwell!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, at least I'm not—"

Quatrina shook her head, smiling amusedly, and left them still arguing to look at the Gundam again. She awed at its magnificent height and size and wondered how the cockpit looked like.

"I'll show you around, if you like," said a voice behind her. It was Heero. She hesitated—it was as if he had read her mind!—then nodded.

"Alright."

Heero said nothing and pressed a button from a control he was holding in his palm. A cable immediately lowered itself down to them. Heero took hold of the cable with one hand, placing his foot on the foothold. He offered his free hand to her.

"Come on."

Quatrina backed away, somewhat frightened by his glare. Heero's hard gaze softened slightly.

"It's alright. I won't let go of you."

Quatrina looked at him, then nodded and took hold of his hand. She stepped on whatever space was left on the foothold and felt Heero's arm circle her waist securely.

"Hold on," was all he said and pressed the same button on the remote. The cable began to lift higher…higher…and suddenly she was inside the cockpit; chair, buttons, everything! Quatrina's eyes widened and, after making sure she was securely inside the cockpit, she broke away from Heero's hold.

"Whoa…" she breathed as she gazed through the viewing panel. She saw Duo and Hilde still at it with their argument and grinned. "They never stop arguing, do they?" she asked Heero. Heero didn't say anything to her. She turned and saw him kneeling at a wall of buttons, examining them. He didn't seem to have heard her. Either that or he just didn't want to talk to her. She looked down at the controls and buttons located just in front of the viewing panel and tried to identify them.

"That's the missile trigger," Heero said in a monotone, startling her by his sudden presence for the fifth time that day. "That screen over there, just at the corner of the viewing screen, is the radar. These are the maneuvering joysticks in either side; the buttons on them are for—,"

"—for triggering the shield flash," she finished for him. She pointed to the other red button on the opposite maneuvering joystick. "That's the button for firing the Vulcans, and this panel box here is…the self-detonation mechanism?"

Heero stared at her. "You catch on fast," he finally said, his voice still in a monotone. He turned away.

"My brother taught me," she said in a soft voice, shrugging. For the rest of the time, she identified most of the rest of the buttons and, with Heero's help, was soon able to recognize all the functions and buttons in the cockpit.

"I didn't know the Gundam was so powerful," she murmured, running her hand on the cockpit seat. Her eyes drooped down sadly as she did this, and she smiled faintly.

"I can't believe my father actually sat in this cockpit—this seat—and fought with this Gundam."

"Your father," Heero said, fiddling with the cable, "was a kind man." Quatrina turned to Heero, surprise in her eyes.

"Are you a…a Gundam pilot, Heero?"

Heero didn't say anything. Instead, he took hold of the cable. "Come on. It's time to go. Your mother is starting to worry."


	6. Chapter 6: Reunion

**Disclaimer:** _Gundam Wing_ is © to Bandai, Sunrise, and Sotsu Agency. All original characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of Mea, Quatrina, and Kailai--belong to _them_. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**A Continued Dream: Quatrina's Story  
**Written by: Mishee

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
Chapter VI  
**_Reunion_

"Long time, no see, eh Mea?" Duo tossed Mrs. Winner his famous grin as she stood in shock upon seeing the three of them.

"Duo Maxwell!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening. "And…Heero Yuy?" She glanced at her sheepish daughter. "Quatrina…how did you..?"

"It's really not much of a story, Mom," Quatrina tried to explain, blushing. "You see, when I brought the papers to Mrs. Schbeiker this afternoon, she let me in her home for some cookies and tea and…well…"

"She found us!" Duo exclaimed, grinning, slinging an arm casually around Heero's shoulder. Heero, frowning as usual, looked at Duo's hand on his shoulder then slowly turned to look at Duo, glaring daggers.

"Uh…heheh…" Duo chuckled sheepishly and quickly withdrew his arm. Mrs. Winner smiled at both of them.

"It's been a long time, both of you. Come in, come in…" She opened the door wider for them to enter. "You're just in time for dinner. You're invited to stay, if you want."

"No, it's all right. Hilde prepared us some food back home. She'd kill us if we didn't taste some of her dishes."

Mrs. Winner laughed. "Same Hilde." She led them to the living room where one of the Maganacs had already prepared a silver tray of tea on the table. "So…how have you been? So much has happened since I last saw you about…was it really so many years ago?"

"We've been just great," Duo exclaimed, still grinning. "And, you're right, it's been so long since we saw you last…I almost didn't recognize your kid here. She's grown so fast!"

"Yes, that she has." Mrs. Winner smiled sadly. "And so has her brother. Sometimes, I can't tell who looks more like their father: Quatrina, here, or Kilai."

Heero, who hadn't said anything the whole time, spoke up for the first time.

"From what I see, Quatrina seems the most like her father."

Quatrina blushed as this remark, but Mrs. Winner just smiled proudly—and rather sadly—at her daughter. Duo broke the silence again by loudly asking how Mrs. Winner was faring.

"As well as any mother could be," she admitted, inadvertently referring to Kilai's absence to join the fight up in space. "Business is booming as always, more so since the war started. The people want more and more each day: more resources to make weapons and mobile suits, more money to fund the armies and platoons…it's been hectic. I don't know if we can hold out in our resources and money any longer."

"You have enough of both to worry about either of them ever running out," pointed out Duo. "Relax, Mea. Besides, I hear you're busy with your own personal goal. From what I read in the papers you gave to Hilde, you want to start some peace organization of your own. What do you plan to do? Unite both the Earth and Space as before?"

Mrs. Winner nodded. "I'm trying to work on the weaknesses that may have broken the peaceful alliance between us. Most people aren't even sure exactly what brought us to war each other. This is pretty stupid, considering the fact that so many people are dying in battles for reasons they don't even know."

Duo leaned back on the couch.

"Man, I remember those good ol' days," he said, his eyes nostalgic. "If only I were a lil' bit younger…all I'd have to do is get on Deathscythe and—just the two of us—we'd kick some—"

"Duo will be ending that sentence for the sake of good judgement, won't you, Duo?" Heero interrupted, glancing at the underage Quatrina. Quatrina blushed and left the room, heading upstairs. Little did the three adults know that she hadn't headed up all the way, and was now listening in on the rest of the conversation.

"Were you planning on using the Gundams in your peace organization?" Heero asked softly in his monotonic voice.

"The Gundams are—were—a symbol of peace before," Mrs. Winner said seriously. "They have helped to unite both Earth and Space in the past. There's no doubt that they can do it again."

"It took us awhile, though," Duo added, serious for once. "Many lives were still lost uselessly before we were able to form some sort of peaceful alliance."

"But, at least, they were not lost in vain," Mrs. Winner continued. "Do you think the Gundams can be used again?"

"We need new pilots," Heero stated.

"That's up for you to decide," Mrs. Winner murmured, remembering her husband. "Pick whoever you think suits best for the job." She suddenly smiled. "I'd have to agree with Duo…I wish you all were younger so that you can pilot again. Nobody can ever substitute the best."

"Heh…" Duo beamed at her. Heero grunted, but Mrs. Winner could see that he, too, was pleased by her comment.

"The Gundams are our only hope at this time," Mrs. Winner continued softly. "As you may have heard recently, Ms. Relena failed to achieve a successful peaceful negotiation with Prime Minister Yuren. If Ms. Relena can't do it, nobody else can. She's the best leader we've got."

The three pondered the thought for while. Under the peaceful leadership of Ambassador Darlian, both Earth and space have maintained peace for several years. Her peace talks had never failed in the history of the colonies. In fact, this was the first known failure.

"We've run out of options," Mrs. Winner said softly. "The people have now decided that battles will be the last determinant of peace. Only Gundams can work at this point of time, though I hate to admit it." She looked down. "I always thought that, somehow, peace could always be achieved through just natural talks. But now I'm proven wrong. I hope Kai knows that. I wish I could tell him."

"Hey." Duo put a hand gently around her shoulder and whipped out a handkerchief, which she gladly took. "Mea, you're as sensitive as always. You haven't changed a bit."

Mrs. Winner laughed through her tears and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just haven't been the same since…since…"

"We understand," Heero said quietly.

"It's kind of hard to forget the guy," Duo admitted. "We all liked him."

"Enough." Mrs. Winner stood up, trying to smile. "We didn't come here to get into a depression over him. I miss him, too, but…but I have to live on. We all have to live on."

Heero and Duo also stood and nodded. "Yes."

"It's getting late. I'm so sorry to have kept both of you here at this kind of hour." Mrs. Winner bowed her head apologetically as she led them to the door.

"Don't worry about it," Heero told her as they stopped to bid her their goodbyes.

"Yeah, we're always here if you need us, remember that." Duo threw her a wink that made Mrs. Winner laugh.

"I will, Duo. Good evening, both of you. Give Hilde my regards."

"I will," Duo replied.

"Goodbye, Duo, Heero!"

"Goodbye, Mea."

"Bye, Heero!" called out a voice. Quatrina came running down the stairs as they were about to leave. She smiled awkwardly at the frowning man. He grunted at her. "Bye, kid."

"Hey, how 'bout me?" Duo asked her.

Quatrina grinned and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Bye," she said, her voice muffled under his jacket, "…Uncle Duo."

Duo blinked, then smiled warmly at his 'niece'.

"You take care of yourself, now, okay Kat? Is it okay if I call you Kat?"

"Of course." Quatrina released him and smiled. Mrs. Winner went to stand beside her daughter.

"Thank you again for bringing her home," she said softly.

"No problem. Anytime."

The two women then watched as both Heero and Duo got into their car and sped away. After they disappeared into the distance, Quatrina looked up at her mom.

"Can I visit them again tomorrow, mom?"

Mrs. Winner blinked in surprise at her daughter, then smiled knowingly. "Is life here too boring for you, honey?"

"Oh, no," she replied quickly, blushing. "It's just that…I'd like to spend more time getting to know them. All of them."

"There's nothing much to know about Heero," Mrs. Winner admitted as they returned to the house. "He's just a walking question mark. He doesn't talk much, either, which doesn't give much credit to knowing any more about him. I don't even know any more about him other than the generalities. And I've known him for more than ten years, now!"

"How about Uncle Duo?"

"Is that how you're calling him now?"

"He wants me to, mom."

Mrs. Winner laughed. "That's Duo, all right. You can learn much from him. He's hard to silence as he is. He never seems to stop talking. But he's quite taken to you already, I can see. You'll love him."

By this time, the two had reached the dinner table. As they sat down, Quatrina asked, "Mom, where's Uncle Trowa? Did he tell you where he was going?"

Mrs. Winner gave her daughter a hesitant look, then shook her head.

"He's on a mission, honey. He'll be back soon, though, so don't worry. He's safe." She then started to eat. Quatrina looked down at her plate and felt for the diskette charm around her neck.

'I know Uncle Trowa left this for me to find on purpose,' she thought to herself. 'But, why? Did he want me to find dad's Gundam? And if so, why did he leave it to me and not Kilai? I hate fighting.'

It's a mystery, she decided.

**---------------**

The days began to pass into weeks, and the weeks into months. Darlian Academy still did not reopen, so Quatrina continued to visit Hilde's house everyday. For most of the morning, she spent her time with Hilde around the house, cooking, cleaning, and doing other household chores. Heero spent most of his time on the computer, although he did come up for a few times to do some of the heavier chores around the house, such as the electronic repairs and the yard work. Duo left every morning to the salvage yard where he would work with the rest of his Sweeper Group to trade tools, old equipment, etc. Towards afternoon, Quatrina would then help both Duo and Heero work around the Gundam. Heero usually left her alone to do his own kind of work, but Duo showed her the parts of the Gundam that made it work as well as the specific operations and weapons that went with it.

Without knowing it, Quatrina began to grow in her knowledge of her father's Gundam to the point where she knew almost everything about it. She knew its functions and weaknesses, as well as its strong points, weapons, and maneuvering techniques. She knew each button's function and, with Heero's help, was even able to figure out how to fix some of the minor problems that tended to come up with the Gundam, such as a weapon malfunction, or a wire shortage.

As fall moved into winter, Quatrina received more and more letters from her brother. Sometimes they were holographic messages, and other times, they were the traditional handwritten letters. However, from each letter, she was able to detect the growing anxiety and sadness that her twin was experiencing so many thousands of miles away. The war was eating what little kindness and love he had left in his heart, and Quatrina wasn't even sure if she would even recognize him after the war ended. That is, if the war ended…

"Don't the soldiers get furloughs up in space, mom?" Quatrina asked her mother one snowy afternoon. Outside, the wind howled dejectedly through the bare branches of the old pines that stood just next to their windows. The temperature had dropped dramatically over the week and, for her safety, Mrs. Winner had forbidden her daughter to visit with Heero, Duo, and Hilde without a proper escort.

"I don't think so, honey," Mrs. Winner sipped her tea and gazed out the wintry scene outside sadly. "If they did, he'd be home right now. I suppose only the wounded soldiers get furloughs."

Quatrina sighed and turned a page on her book. Mrs. Winner turned away from the window to stare at her daughter.

"You look like you miss him more than I do," she murmured, half a smile on her face. "I can't blame you; you two were born to be together, to spend your time either playing or talking with each other."

Quatrina smiled at her mother. "I do miss him, mom. I wish I could see him for real, even for just one minute. Those holographs of his don't make much of a difference."

"I know."

"Mom, when will Uncle Trowa come back?"

Mrs. Winner stared at her daughter, a puzzled look on her face. "Why do you keep asking for Trowa all of a sudden, honey? Just these past few months, you've asked for him more than ten times, and every time I've told you the same answer."

"I…" Quatrina blushed. "I'm just worried for him, that's all." She turned to stare out the window. "I guess I can't go over to see Ms. Schbeiker at this kind of weather."

"I wouldn't let you out this weather even if you _had_ an escort."

"I know." Quatrina stood up and started to ascend the staircase slowly. Mrs. Winner stared at her daughter's slowly disappearing figure, then sighed. Rashid suddenly appeared and started to clean up the tray.

"Rashid?" she asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Winner?" Rashid turned to look at the young woman. Mrs. Winner was still staring at the steps.

"Rashid, do you think Kai is okay?" She put her cup of tea down to stare at the older man. "I really do miss him."

"My men are with him even as we speak," Rashid said softly. "You need not worry."

"I know I shouldn't, but I still do." She stood went out toward the window, watching as the snowflakes floated slowly from the gray sky.

"Rashid," she asked suddenly, "Do you think my husband would have approved of him going?"

Rashid blinked in surprise at her question, then smiled faintly.

"Times have changed, Mrs. Winner. Master Quatre's approval of his son's actions would not have changed anything."

"But, Quatre never thought it would end this way, Rashid. Nobody ever thought it would end this way. We fought a war years ago so that battles like these would cease to exist. What happened along those years, Rashid? Where did we go wrong?" Mrs. Winner shook her head. "Was my husband's death in vain?"

"Master Quatre fought and died to keep his children safe, Mrs. Winner. Perhaps Master Kilai is thinking the same thing, only he is fighting to keep his mother and sister safe."

Mrs. Winner touched the cold glass with her fingertips.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this," she finally said in a soft voice. "It was never supposed to happen like this."

"I know, Mrs. Winner," Rashid replied back, also in a soft tone. "I know."

Mrs. Winner continued to stare at the window. Rashid stopped clearing the tray long enough for him to go and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"My men will keep him safe, please do not worry yourself, Mrs. Winner," he said softly. Silence ensued thereafter. Unnoticed from above, Quatrina knelt, hidden by the banister, watching the scene. She silently shook her head, then clutched her diskette charm around her neck, all the while quietly whispering a prayer for her brother's safe return.


	7. Chapter 7: Trowa's Return

**Disclaimer:** _Gundam Wing_ is © to Bandai, Sunrise, and Sotsu Agency. All original characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of Mea, Quatrina, and Kailai--belong to _them_. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**A Continued Dream: Quatrina's Story  
**Written by: Mishee

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
Chapter VII  
**_Trowa's Return_

"Coupling A goes here," Duo said, sticking his tongue out between his lips in determination as he struggled to fit the metal tube over the opening. Quatrina glanced at the size of the opening, glanced likewise at coupling A, then raised her eyebrows at Duo.

"Are you sure, Uncle Duo?"

"Of course I'm sure. I've been doing it for years." He tried to force the tube into the opening, but to no avail.

"Stupid thing," he muttered. "Why won't you fit?"

"Uncle Duo, Coupling A's supposed to fit here." Quatrina took hold of the tube and fitted it over the other end. "That opening is connected to the navigation system. If you connected the gas coupling to the main speakers, the pilot would suffocate from the fumes before he was able to send out a distress signal."

"She's right, y'know," Hilde said, looking over Duo's shoulder and throwing Quatrina a wink. She never missed the chance to aggravate Duo more than he already was.

"Hilde, you keep out of this. We were just fine, until you had to come in and—"

"Yeah, right," Hilde snorted. "Fine, I'm going. At least I'm not the one who just tried to connect a gas coupling to the navigation system."

"All right, _that's_ it." Duo stood up and began to head toward Hilde, swinging his braid menacingly. Hilde's eyes widened and she quickly made her escape, giggling the whole time.

"You can run, but you can't hide, especially from me, Hilde-eeeee…" Duo turned a dark corner and immediately grabbed Hilde's arm. Hilde's scream faded in laughter as she tried to escape from Duo's hold.

"Hahahaha…Duo, stop…stop…aaauuughhhh! Duo!" More laughter. "St-stop it…stop--," Again, more laughter. Quatrina started giggling. Duo was tickling Hilde! From above Quatrina, Heero rolled his eyes in disgust and grunted.

"Kids," he muttered as he typed a command in his computer. Quatrina laughed.

"Hey, what's all the fuss about here?" a familiar voice suddenly interrupted the laughter. Quatrina's eyes widened and Duo and Hilde stopped their antics to look at the dark figure that had just appeared at the doorway. Heero continued typing, not ceasing to even pause.

"Trowa," he muttered under his breath, still typing.

"Uncle Trowa!" she exclaimed and joyfully jumped off the Gundam into his arms. She hugged him for a long time and suddenly realized that she was crying. "Uncle Trowa…"

"Hey, Trowa. Didn't know you'd join the party." Duo grinned at him, arm wrapped around a blushing Hilde. Trowa smiled at Duo, nodded his greeting to Hilde, then looked down at his niece.

"Miss me?" he asked, a slight smile on his lips.

"_Miss_ you?" Quatrina lifted her tear-stained face to look at him. "Uncle Trowa, don't _ever_ disappear like that on me again!"

Trowa laughed, and Quatrina suddenly realized that he had grown even thinner from when she met him last summer. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, giving her the expression that he hadn't slept much.

"Uncle Trowa…where were you? What happened? Why were you gone away for so long?"

"Hey, hold on with the questions." Trowa smiled tiredly at her. "They'll be answered soon enough. Right now, I want to talk to your…uncle Duo—is it?—and Heero."

Quatrina looked at him, worry in her eyes, but Trowa threw her another smile.

"I'll be with you shortly, Kat. Promise."

Hilde put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "Let's go," she said softly. "Come and help me prepare some coffee for your uncle." Quatrina gave a small sigh, then nodded and ascended the dark staircase with Hilde.

**---------------**

Quatrina stared out into the clear night sky from her window seat as she brushed her wavy dark locks. The night had grown unusually warm and she had donned a light green nightgown for comfort. Downstairs, she could hear parts of the muffled conversation that her mother and Trowa were holding. Earlier that day, all four of them—Heero, Duo, Trowa, and her—had gone over to Mrs. Winner's house and stayed for dinner. Quatrina, on the other hand, was asked to return to her room immediately after supper ended, and the men continued to talk with her mother for throughout the rest of the evening.

"It's not fair," complained Quatrina when Rashid came over to her room bearing a tray of warm milk. "Are they afraid that I won't understand what they're talking about?"

"No, Miss Quatrina," Rashid said with an amused smile. "But the subjects they are talking about are too mature for young girls to be a part of."

"Are they talking about Kai?" she asked. Rashid shook his head.

"The war, then?"

"Miss Quatrina, your mother asks that I make sure you drink your milk."

"But, Rashid—"

"Milk," he said, a smile still in his lips. Quatrina scowled, but drank the milk. When she finished, Rashid took the cup and began to exit the room.

"Wait!" Quatrina went up to Rashid. "Please, tell me, Rashid. I won't tell, I promise."

"Miss Quatrina—"

"Please?"

Rashid raised his eyebrows at her.

"Your Uncle Trowa will be up here soon enough to tell you whatever your heart desires, Miss Quatrina."

"Oh." Quatrina's shoulders sagged, disappointed from his answer. Rashid smiled again and tweaked her chin gently.

"Goodnight, little mistress."

Quatrina turned to smile at the grandfatherly-man.

" 'Night, Rashid," she murmured, kissing him gently on the cheek. She closed the door and sighed. Opening one of her brother's books on Computer Science, she began to read silently to herself. About half an hour later, she heard the front door open and a flurry of voices saying goodbye to their host. Quatrina rushed to the window. Duo and Heero were waving at Mrs. Winner and were just entering their car.

"Duo!" she called out hoarsely. "Heero!"

Duo caught her eye and turned to her. Winking, he began to wave goodbye at her also. Heero glared at her, saying nothing. Quatrina smiled, knowing that secretly, Heero was also saying his goodbye.

"I hope you weren't listening on us again, Quatrina," her mother said. Quatrina whirled around. Mrs. Winner stood, smiling at her—a little forcefully, Quatrina noticed—with Trowa by her side.

"I wasn't," she said solemnly.

"Good." Her mother opened her arms and Quatrina went to hug her.

"Goodnight, Mom."

" 'Night, honey." She held her daughter back by the shoulders, still smiling, and this time, Quatrina could detect the faintest hint of tears in her eyes. She threw a questioning glance at her uncle.

"Well, Trowa," Mrs. Winner drew back and held a hand out to her daughter, "She's all yours." She then kissed him lightly on the cheek. "The guest room is straight down the hall, toward the left. Goodnight."

"Keep safe, Mea."

Mrs. Winner nodded and disappeared to her own room. Trowa looked at his niece. She stared at him back.

"I suppose you want to know what we were talking about downstairs with your mother," he started. Quatrina nodded.

"It was about the war, wasn't it?"

Trowa nodded and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"It's getting worse, Quatrina. More and more violent. I hear they're going to start a draft in the next four months if it doesn't improve."

Quatrina's eyes widened. A draft meant that they were getting desperate.

"Your mother is worried for both you and Kai," he continued. "The battles are taking place closer and closer to here than ever. I was recommending to your mother about moving up to space, perhaps to one of the colonies. It's safer up there, or so I've seen."

"Have you any news of Kai, Uncle Trowa?" Quatrina turned worried eyes on him. Kai hadn't sent any news or letters since four months ago, and it was getting her worried.

"He was…was wounded," Trowa hesitated. "Just shortly after K-8 massacre." Quatrina gasped. K-8 was the infamous battle that had taken place a little more than a month ago near the L2 colony. The battle had involved in the destruction of many mobile suits and soldiers, both from Earth and space, as well as the killings of innocent space civilians living in the colony. It was the worst disaster that had yet taken place in the war.

"How is he?" Quatrina was almost afraid to ask.

"He's doing fine. A little tired and thin, but just fine. I visited him myself." Trowa smiled at her. "He sends you his love."

Quatrina frowned in worry. "He shouldn't be there, Uncle Trowa. He should be here, at home. What if he gets killed?"

"Don't think like that, Kat. I'm sure he'll return home soon. He misses all of you."

"Can I visit him?"

"Perhaps, but not right now. It's too dangerous."

"When, then?"

"Maybe in a month or so."

"A month!" Quatrina was flabbergasted.

"Yes, a month," Trowa said patiently. "At the earliest, in three weeks. Really, Kat, it's much too dangerous up there."

Quatrina looked away, out toward the window. "But…he's okay, right Uncle Trowa? He's okay?"

"He's fine, Kat."

Quatrina turned her worried eyes up at him, then removed the charm from her necklace. She showed it to Trowa, then stared at him, looking for a reaction. Trowa smiled.

"I see you found it."

"I did. I knew somehow that you left it for me to find. But…" she turned puzzled eyes up at him. "…why? Why me?"

"I wanted you to see your father's Gundam, Kat. I wanted Heero and Duo to show you how it worked and what it looked like and how it functioned."

"But, why _me_? Kai should have this. He's fighting up there right now. The Gundam would help him. Even mom said that you'd use the Gundams again to promote peace."

Trowa looked to her in amusement. "Where did you hear that, Kat?"

Quatrina blushed under his stare, suddenly realizing what she had done. "I…I eavesdropped the last time Heero and Duo came here."

"Did you hear from them that they're also looking for pilots?"

"Yes, I—" She stopped suddenly and looked at Trowa, surprise in her eyes. "Wait a minute, you mean that…that you want me to..?"

Trowa nodded. Quatrina stared at him in shock then shook her head adamantly.

"No! I will _not_ be the pilot of that Gundam, Uncle Trowa! Even if it did belong to my father!"

"Quatrina—"

"I only want peace. I want this stupid war to end! But I want it to end without anymore bloodshed. Not a single soul should be lost to promote something as good as peace. I won't pilot that Gundam. It will only create more bloodshed."

"Quatrina," Trowa said gently. "A few months ago you told me yourself that peace can only be created if only we work for it. Peace can be achieved through the Gundams. You just have to believe in them."

"Uncle Trowa," Quatrina said, her lips trembling. "I hate fighting. It's the same fighting that took father away from me and is now taking Kai away from me. I don't want to lose any more people whom I love. I don't want Mom to suffer anymore. The Gundams may promote peace, but they're also the cause of so much bloodshed."

"If one doesn't fight, then all of us would get killed," Trowa said softly. "Sometimes we have to sacrifice a little to gain something good and lasting."

"But…haven't we all sacrificed enough?"

"That's what the Gundams are for; to stop the sacrificing."

Quatrina stared at her uncle's dark eyes, then shook her head.

"I'm confused, Uncle Trowa…I'm not sure of anything anymore."

"I shouldn't have burdened this with you, tonight, Kat. Today has been much too hectic." He rubbed his eyes again and tried to stifle a yawn. "I'll talk to you in the morning, when both our heads will be cleared." Trowa stood up and began to exit toward the door. Quatrina looked to him hesitantly.

"Uncle Trowa…"

"Goodnight, Kat."

"Why did you choose me, Uncle Trowa? Why me?"

Trowa turned to her then, his face and eyes warm with emotion.

"Because," he said softly. "You _are_ your father, Kat. Every single part of you. You hold his same passion for peace, his same doubts and beliefs, his same spirit. Looking at you is like looking at him."

"And of Kai?"

"Kilai is similar, but doesn't seem to hold the kind of spirit you hold, Kat. You said so yourself: he's angry. I saw it in his eyes, also. Kilai longs for peace as much as you do, but it's his anger that fuels his fighting spirit. The war has eaten up his heart, Kat. He isn't the same Kai you once knew."

"You, also, have suffered much through the pains of the war, yet your heart remains kind and gentle. Your father's spirit is strong in you, Quatrina. Your shared beliefs of peace fuel the need for you to protect both your mother and brother, but your kind nature keeps you from doing so through fighting. I just wish that somehow you can find a balance between your heart and mind. Your father did. That's what made him a great man in the end. That's why I admired him so much."

"Your father loved peace. He wanted nothing but peace. Yet, he chose to use violent ways to achieve it. But, see Quatrina, sometimes violence is the only option we have in this world. Your father knew that, which is why he never ceased to stop fighting. It tore his heart to pieces every time he killed, but in the corner of his mind, he knew that only good could come out of it. He fought for peace and died doing so, Kat. In the end, that's all that seems to matter."

Quatrina's eyes blurred with tears.

"Oh, Uncle Trowa…" she whispered haltingly. Trowa smiled sadly at her.

"This is hard for you, Kat. I know. Here your mother is barely home trying to keep peace between the colonies and Earth, your father is dead, and your brother is somewhere in space wounded and there's nothing you can do to change anything about it." He touched her face for a moment, then drew back gently.

"It's been a long night, Kat. We both need sleep."

Quatrina nodded, tears spilling in her cheeks. "I miss both of them," she whispered. His eyes softened upon seeing her cry.

"I know you do," he whispered back. "I know you do. But right now, all we can do is wait it out. And have hope. Months ago, you promised my you'd always stay the way you are. Don't forget that, okay? Stay the way you are, Kat, always. It's the only way you can survive this war."

"I promise."

Trowa lowered his eyes.

"Goodnight, then, Kat. Keep safe."

"You, too, Uncle Trowa."

"I will."

"Good night, Uncle Trowa."

"Good night."


End file.
